Ecotourism Not a Quick Fix for Poverty, Study Indicates

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Truly impoverished people are less likely to benefit economically
from nature-based tourism than those who already have access to
resources, according to research that followed the effects of
burgeoning tourism in Wolong, China, where pandas are the main
attraction.

The study followed 220 Wolong families from 1999 to 2007 as the
area's economic base shifted from agriculture
to tourism. Results showed that those who were
already educated, economically well off and had relationships
with government officials had a much better chance of benefitting
from the new industry than other individuals. [ Butter
Balls: Photos of Playful Pandas ]

Those without these resources — the people who are the targets of
many Chinese programs to lift people out of poverty —had much
more difficulty.

"The policies haven't yet reached their full potential," said
lead researcher Wei Liu, a doctoral candidate in the Center for
Systems Integration and Sustainability at Michigan State
University. "But now we have the data to show what's happening."

The Center has a 15-year history of work in Wolong.

Tourism in Wolong dropped off abruptly in 2008 with the
massive Sichuan earthquake, and damage to roads and buildings
in the province still impedes business development.

Like many nature reserves around the world, Wolong Nature Reserve
is home to both people and animals. In Wolong's case, the natural
inhabitants include several thousand species of plants and
animals, including
the endangered giant panda.

The research, which was funded by the National Science
Foundation, appeared online Wednesday (April 25) in the journal
PLoS ONE.